A Monarchy Transformed: Britain, 1603-1714 (Penguin History of Britain) [Paperback]

Mark Kishlansky (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1997 | ISBN-10: 0140148272 | ISBN-13: 978-0140148275

The sixth of nine volumes in the major "Penguin History of Britain" series, "A Monarchy Transformed" narrates the tempestuous political events of the Stuart dynasty. It charts the reigns of six monarchs, and the course of two revolutions as well as religious upheavals that shook the beliefs of seventeenth-century Britons to the core.

Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews

A beautifully written but narrowly focused narrative of high politics in 17th-century Britain. Kishlansky (English and European History/Harvard) recognizes that history is a story and that a good historian is a storyteller. His strongly delineated point of view contributes to the flow of the narrative, and his enthusiasm for the subject sustains the reader through thickets of detail about high politics and war. Viewing 17th-century Britain through the eyes of those at the top, Kishlansky always comes down on the side of political stability. He successfully avoids uncritical power worship with judicious criticism of both the Stuart monarchs and of Cromwell. However, as a volume in the new Penguin History of Britain (see also Peter Clarke, Hope and Glory: Britain 19001990, p. 186), A Monarchy Transformed is intended to provide a definitive introductory guide for the student and general reader. Although every historian must leave things out of the story, too many important things are neglected in this one. Kishlansky mentions in passing such important matters as Britain's overseas empire, the slave trade, art and literature, science and mathematics, but doesn't weave such materials into his narrative. John Donne is identified merely as a recipient of royal patronage, and John Milton dismissed as an ``ideologue.'' The momentous religious changes of the period are discussed mainly when they influence politics or threaten social stability. What is most disappointing, though, is the treatment of women. Queen Mary is mentioned and Queen Anne gets a chapter, but beyond that women appear at the margins of history, as irrational teenage royal brides or midwives accused of kidnapping children for satanic rituals. Women should not be marginalized in any volume that aspires to the status of a general survey. Although successful as a forceful narrative of politics at the center, this volume is a disappointing general introduction to 17th-century British history. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

If some interpretations or facts are open to question, the larger narrative seems balanced and reasonable.... Also, much must be forgiven a historian who writes of the egregious Titus Oates that he "was eventually hoist on his own canard," and of Queen Anne that her pleasures were "limited to gambling and dining, losing pounds at one set of tables and gaining them at another." -- The New York Times Book Review, Paul S. Seaver --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (December 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140148272
• ISBN-13: 978-0140148275
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #77,747 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful narrative by a big-league historian, January 11, 2007

By 

dj_swinger (Arlington, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Monarchy Transformed: Britain, 1603-1714 (Penguin History of Britain) (Paperback)

I can certainly appreciate the critiques of some of the earlier reviewers. No, it does not cover every aspect of English life in the period, and "Monarchy Transformed" is by no means an exhaustive exploration of the (mostly) Stuart dynasty that it covers. Kishlansky is primarily a political historian, and that somewhat shows. That being said, if any friend, family member or student asks for an overview of the period this is the book that I immediately recommend. Even though it is a narrative overview it remains on my top five list of books for the period. Why? Kishlansky is one of the top five historians (both in quality and stature) working in the field, and as far as "serious" academic history goes, it does not get better than this. His prose sparkles, and as far as "serious" academic books go, this one is a barn-burner. That might say something more about academic discourse than anything else, but this book has no equal for pure reading pleasure underlined by top-notch historical research. If you are new to Stuart history, or are looking for an overview of the "long seventeenth century", look no further. This is as good as it gets for a narrative overview, of this period or any other.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good political and religious overview, December 4, 2005

By 

Mike Christie (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Monarchy Transformed: Britain, 1603-1714 (Penguin History of Britain) (Paperback)

There are no boring centuries in the history of Great Britain, but the seventeenth century has many claims to be the most eventful of them all. At the start, England and Scotland were separate countries, with England ruled by Elizabeth I. In 1707, just before the end of the Stuart era, England and Scotland were fully united under a single government, after a century including the civil war, regicide, an attempted "government of saints", the English Revolution and many lesser events such as the Great Fire of London. Science burgeoned, American colonies were planted, the nation's finances were transformed, and the roots of the industrial revolution began to grow.

Not all of this is adequately covered by Kishlansky. He eulogizes the century in his introduction, but the book focuses primarily on politics. This necessarily introduces religion too, and Kishlansky covers Arminianism, dissenters, the struggles over Presbyterianism and Catholicism, and the final restrictive Test Acts. The political background is done concisely and well, with good portraits of the key characters and clearly laid out ideologicial conflicts -- no mean achievement given the bewildering complex and contradictory positions most of the players adopted.

Kishlansky is excellent on the monarchs, their finances and rule, and their relationships with their governments. He is equally readable on the political state of the country, and the details of the conflicts in Parliament. His coverage of foreign policy is less complete, and he only provides any details when there is a clear interaction with the internal politics of Great Britain -- which, to be fair, is much of the time. He is also fairly thorough in his coverage of Ireland.

The weak points are the social and economic world, and the world of ideas. The first two chapters are titled "The Social World", and "The Political World", and though the second chapter serves as a springboard for the chronological narration of the rest of the book, the first chapter is the last we hear of social issues. The chronology ignores science and literature completely; Newton, for example, is mentioned only in the Prologue.

These first two chapters are also, unfortunately, the hardest to read. Kishlansky can write clearly and well, but perhaps because of the "survey" nature of these chapters he succumbs to complex abstract statements, though there is real information there too. As a result it took me a couple of tries to get through these first two chapters, but they are worthwhile, if a little hard going, and the rest of the book is highly readable.

Overall, this is an excellent overview. Recommended, with the caveat that any one area that you may be interested in, such as the civil war or the English revolution, gets no more than twenty pages.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Stuart Limited, August 8, 2005

By 

Mark Klobas (Tempe, AZ, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: A Monarchy Transformed: Britain 1603-1714 (The Penguin History of Britain) (Hardcover)

This book is primarily a political and religious history of the period; British society during this period is relegated to a single chapter, while cultural history and the great scientific discoveries merit only the briefest of mention in the prologue. In a different context this might not matter so much, but for a volume in a series that purports to provide an introduction to the history of the British Isles the decision to focus on just a single aspect of that history is disappointing.

Nevertheless, what this book does it does well. Kishlansky offers a clear and readable narrative of a century wracked with political and religious turmoil, something that in itself is no small achievement. It is also free of the numerous historiographical disputes, and as such is a safe book for readers wanting an introduction to the Stuarts' reign. The inclusion of Scotland and Ireland into the picture is especially welcome, as it gives a fuller understanding of the era than was available in the traditionally England-specific studies. As a result, it provides a good starting point for understanding how the government of Great Britain developed during the tumultuous decades of the seventeenth century, one that saw the permanent redefinition of the role of the crown in British political life.